ZECHS MARQUISE

With Omar Rodriguez-Lopez suddenly reforming At The Drive-In, his Mars Volta bandmate/brother Marcel has time to spend with his other project, Zechs Marquise. Based in El Paso, the latter Rodriguez-Lopez plays drums in the instrumental progressive rock band with his other brothers Marfred and Rikardo on bass and keyboards, respectively. Their sophomore album, Getting Paid, dropped late last year from Rodriguez-Lopez Productions (it’s a family thing), and they’ve just delivered a new video for one of the tracks.

We first brought you their single “Everlasting Beacon Of Light” back in August. The track leans towards trip-hop before erupting into typical Rodriguez Brothers insanity, but the video pretty much starts and ends in the insane. In the clip, the name of the song appears to be the name of a smokeable drug. Inhalation of said drug leads to animal-headed people, dusty graveyards, latino gangs, and secret Zechs Marquise shows. Talk about gateway drugs. Check out the exclusive video, directed by The 90s, below.

Nice cameos from Teri of Le Butcherettes and Matthew Embree of RX Bandits

Our original Best Songs of 2011 list was over twice as long and we wish to include them all, but twenty-five is the number, folks, and not all are suited for the Best of 2011 title. These below were the ones that were set on repeat in our heads, we bonded to, we celebrated and got piss drunk, made us laugh, made us cry and made us fall in love.

# 25 “Everlasting Beacon of Light”
by Zechs Marquise
Album: Getting Paid
[USA/Puerto Rico]

If I was from the past and somehow through time travel, woke up in 2011, the epic 7 and 1/2 minute long “Everlasting Beacon of Light” would blow my mind…Oh wait, I am from this time and it STILL blows an everlasting beacon of light into my skull. Probably the most artistic, prog rock-y song on this list, and still probably the best song to get a lapdance to. If this doesn’t make you want to get naked I don’t know what will. Words can’t even describe how brilliant this song is. Listen for yourself. -Stephen Christopher

Full list (which also includes label mates Le Butcherettes!) can be seen here.

As cliché as it is, a sophomore slump is a relatively valid fear for artist and fan alike  But given the pedigree of Zechs Marquise, the fear diminishes quite a bit. Featuring Marcel and Marfred Rodriguez-Lopez (the former of Mars Volta fame), the El Paso, TX outfit will release their second album Getting Paid on September 27th via Rodriguez-Lopez Productions. They’ve even invited brother and fellow Volta bandmate Rikardo Rodriguez-Lopez to join in on keyboard trumpet for this go-around.

The first track to surface from the forthcoming album is “Everlasting Beacon of Light,” a dense, layered track that expands on the bands hazy, aggressive prog stylings of 2009′s Our Delicate Stranded Nightmare. The offering has almost a trip-hop feel to it as it builds up and finally explodes with the wrecking ball intensity we’ve come to love from the Brothers Rodriguez. Check out the song and the full tracklist to Getting Paid below.

Zechs Marquise – “Everlasting Beacon of Light” (Feat. Matthew Embree/ vocals)

Getting Paid Tracklist:
01. Getting Paid
02. Lock Jaw Night Vision
03. Static Lovers
04. The Heat, The Drought, The Thirst, and The Insanity
05. Time Masters
06. Guajira
07. Everlasting Beacon of Light
08. Crushin’ It!
09. Mega Slap